Hometown by Wendy Rich Stetson

 When all roads lead home, choosing one is far from simple…

     When Tessa's big-city plans take the A Train to disaster, she lands in her sleepy hometown, smack in the middle of the most unlikely love triangle ever to hit Pennsylvania's Amish Country.

     Hot-shot Dr. Richard Bruce is bound to Green Ridge by loyalty that runs deep. Deeper still is Jonas Rishel's tie to the land and his family's Amish community. Behind the wheel of a 1979 camper van, Tessa idles at a fork in the road. Will she cruise the superhighway to the future? Or take a slow trot to the past and a mysterious society she never dreamed she'd glimpse from the inside?

 Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature author Wendy Rich Stetson who celebrates the release of Hometown a current release for the Sweetheart Rose line out of the Wild Rose Press. Accompanying Wendy is Tessa Meadows who will go first.

Good morning, Tessa. Thanks for joining us. Let’s begin with where you’re from. Green Ridge, PA.  It’s not the end of the world but you can see it from there.

Tell us a bit about Hometown. It is the story of the crazy summer I was fired from a job I didn’t want in the first place, almost moved to New York City, and ended up in my tiny hometown, smack in the middle of a love triangle between a drop-dead gorgeous Amish carpenter and a super-hot, young doctor.

What did you think the first time you saw Jonas Rishel whom we now know is the drop-dead gorgeous carpenter. I didn’t think so much as I swooned.  I met him at his sister’s baked goods stand at the Farmers’ Market in my hometown, whereupon I completely mangled a whoopie pie, muttered something unintelligible, and sort of thought, just for a second, he was checking me out.

Un huh. So . . . what was your second thought? He’s Amish.  I’m not.  What am I going to do?  Ask him out?

Did you feel it was love at first sight?  Not gonna lie.  Yup.  Except for the part where I thought he was probably married.

What do you like most about him? I love how straightforward and uncynical he is.  He says what he means, and he doesn’t play games.  I know I can trust him.

How would you describe him? Jonas is the most upright, dependable guy I’ve ever met.  I’ve never known anyone so loyal and so dedicated to his family. He’s painfully handsome and equally stubborn, with a bossy streak a mile wide.  Despite the fact he was raised Amish, he has a restless spirit and a deep sense of wanderlust.  He says he’s a carpenter, but he’s really an artist.  And he bakes a mean blueberry pie.

How would he describe you? He would say I’m twice as stubborn as he is and three times as short tempered.  I think he likes my curly red hair and how I make him laugh.  He’d say I drive too slowly, and he can’t spend an afternoon with me without getting drenched. I surprise him, and I think he likes that.

What made you choose your current career? Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what it will be. I got a Masters in English and taught writing to college students for a couple of years before the university closed down.  I had a gardening column in a small, local newspaper for a while, and I really enjoyed that.  I’d like to pursue journalism.

What is your biggest fear? Getting stuck in my hometown.  My second biggest fear is leaving my hometown.

How do you relax? When I was a little girl, I spent hours in the garden with my grandmother.  To this day, I always feel better with my knees in the dirt.

Who is your favorite fictional character? I think every red-haired girl grew up loving Anne of Green Gables.  I’m no exception.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? On a whim, I took an acting class in college.  My teacher was fond of saying, “Dare to fail gloriously.”  I’d like to learn how to do that.

This has been an awful lot of fun. Thank you, Tessa, for offering us a breath of fresh air. Now we’d like to chat with Wendy.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I love the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  I just thought it was the most beautifully romantic story.  Ever since I saw it, I’ve longed to tell a tale about an impossible romance—about people from radically different worlds risking everything to be together.  What’s more romantic than that?

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I think lots of us who grew up in small towns fear getting trapped.  We worry we’ll never experience life outside the tiny little community we know and that knows us so well.  I grew up in a town very like Green Ridge, and like Tessa, I both longed to leave and was afraid to strike out on my own.  Finding home is a strong theme in the book.  As a farmgirl living in Manhattan, I understand what it means to rebel against your hometown and yet feel it is indelibly a part of who you are. 

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I found The Wild Rose Press through searching boutique romance publishers online.  They do one thing, romance, and they do it well.  I was honored to have them select Hometown for publication.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I am just finishing Vanetta Chapman’s beautiful Amish book, “A Wedding for Julia.”  It had me weeping in the orthodontist’s office during my daughter’s appointment today.  I’m getting to know my fellow Wild Rose Press writers through their writing, and I have a number of titles lined up on my kindle including books by Charlotte O’Shay, Sadira Stone, and Hunter J. Skye.  

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I’m in the thick of writing Book 2 in the Hearts of the Ridge series.  I’m not ready to give any spoilers yet, but a character from Hometown is going to get her happily ever after in the most unexpected and delightful way.

Wendy brought an excerpt from Hometown for us:

The girl entwined her fingers in her skirt and tugged the fabric tight. “Your hair is the same color as my cat, and she’s the best cat in the world.” In a heartbeat, she fled and buried her face in the man’s lap.

“My goodness.  What a compliment.  Thank you.” She fumbled with the clasp of her wallet, discovering only then she smooshed her thumb deep into the whoopie pie.

The elfin child giggled and bounced on bare toes.

Standing, the man swept her into his arms and smiled down at Tessa. “Rebecca has not seen many women with ginger hair.”

Ginger hair. For years, she was tormented by boneheaded boys shouting, “Carrot Top” and “Flame.” No one ever called her mane ginger. Beneath his candid gaze, her curls heated like embers, warming her from top to toe. Who was this man?

The girl wriggled, knocking askew his straw hat.

He tossed her under one arm like a sack of flour and righted it, loosening a tawny curl that escaped the wide brim and fell over one brow. His gaze passed over Tessa’s face.  

Her unruly hair and short shorts tweaked at her consciousness. What did the Amish call outsiders? English? She was definitely dressed like an English woman. And not one from a Jane Austen novel.

He deposited the giggling girl right-side up on the floor and approached the table. “I’ve rarely seen hair that color myself. Like a copper penny.”

She stared at the mangled whoopie pie and blushed even deeper. For a brief moment, she felt his gaze trail down her body like a caress. Or did she?

To purchase Hometown, go to:

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097NVNFDF/

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hometown-wendy-rich-stetson/1139719240;jsessionid=41ADA76CCD67CA8C68861A9F8271F2B3.prodny_store01-atgap13?ean=9781509235643

 

To learn more about Wendy Rich Stetson go to:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StetsonRiches

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyRichStetsonRomance

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyrichstetson_author/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wendy_stetson/_saved/

Originally from Central PA, Wendy Rich Stetson is a Broadway & TV actress, audiobook narrator, and now the author of “Hometown,” a sweet and funny, small town Amish romance. @stetsonriches #wrpbks #smalltownromance #sweetromance #amish #romancereaders #romancenovel